Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT strips 3681 to 3685 (19-23 February 2018)
Dal Gurak:
--- Quote from: brightwings00 on 19 Feb 2018, 04:06 ---I guess for me, it's just weird to quantify things like attractiveness and humour and intelligence, where it's like everything's on a scale and you can measure it. It'd be like saying "this apple is obviously better than this orange", only every single person on Earth is a different kind of fruit.
--- End quote ---
It might be easier to think in terms of cars rather than fruit - that's always helped me with these things. Different models, brands, options, parts; but also, different reasons for being built in the first place. This one is made to be safe and careful - this one is flashy and pretty and fast - this one is made for working hard. On the one hand it's still hard to compare in a lot of cases - whether the big pickup or the little compact is better depends on what you want out of the vehicle. But on the other, yes, you can judge overall quality. Better ones will cost more, but pay too little and it'll be something broken down that will need tons of maintenance. Some of them aren't fit for the road in any way and will never be driven. And some, while not objectively better than others in a measurable way, will always be popular just because there's something about them that people really like. And none of this is bad. It's not pretty for people like me who fall into the 'junkheap' category, but overall it's pretty accurate on how people handle these things. Consider when someone has a bad vehicle but paints it, does some superficial work, and lies about it in order to sell it just long enough to get the buyer stuck with it.
Anyway, probably beating the metaphor to death, but when asked "Why didn't you buy Car X instead of Car Y?" the answer hopefully is "Because I didn't want Car X" It's a good make, nothing wrong with it, but it's not what you wanted. Doesn't have to be a logical reason behind it or a set of numbers - there can be, but it can be as simple as "This is the one I like."
HiFranc:
Dale, here's a slightly better approach:
http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2010/05/13/0164-tipping-point/
NemesisDancer:
Firstly, Marigold's face in the second panel reminded me of Anne Bronte in this comic.
I'm in agreement with a lot of the points being made by Emperor Norton and SpanielBear; I don't think Dale's an "idiot" for upsetting Marigold, and that it's largely just his inexperience showing through. While a more confident partner may have appreciated his honesty, Marigold's lack of confidence means she's more likely to interpret Dale's favourable view of Emily as an indication that she herself is inferior. Having been in Dale's position before, I can sympathise with him, and I hope that both he and Marigold are able to get their points of view across to each other to avoid any misunderstandings.
--- Quote from: BenRG on 19 Feb 2018, 01:20 ---I can't help but wonder if, normally they don't communicate much verbally at all. It's possible that their interactions are normally to playing games, watching (and critiquing) animé and sex. They've never really got to the point where they discuss feelings for each other, outside of reassuring each other that any doubts the other has are silly.
--- End quote ---
^ I think BenRG is definitely on to something with this interpretation - I had one or two relationships like this myself when I was younger (with people who were heavily into video games, similarly to Dale and Marigold, as it happens) - so I think their issues with communicating are largely down to inexperience, not just with romantic relationships but with interpersonal communication in general. Whether they're able to deal with their issues will depend on whether they're able to talk to each other on a more personal level as well as about interests they have in common.
Emperor Norton:
@HiFranc
Eh, it looks like a better approach because it was written to work.
Also, keep in mind that Dale wasn't actually allowed to finish what he was saying.
If the girl had cut him off after saying the bit in Panel 2 and walked off, would you still think it was a better approach? The exclamation marks indicate that he is raising his voice, and most of it sounds like an accusation of her being unfair to him. Without the 3rd panel to clean it up, it could definitely look a lot worse.
Tova:
--- Quote from: SpanielBear on 19 Feb 2018, 05:27 ---I think it's more a case of Dale doing the classic thing of answering the question that's being asked rather than the question that's implied.
--- End quote ---
I don't agree that he answered the question being asked, actually. All he did was reaffirm that, yes, Emily is smarter, prettier, and at least as funny. That's not answering the question, it's just reiterating all the reasons Marigold asked it.
Why wouldn't I be jealous?
Maybe he would have got there eventually, but to someone as insecure as Marigold, it would have sounded an awful lot like he was scrabbling for an answer.
--- Quote from: HiFranc on 19 Feb 2018, 09:16 ---Dale, here's a slightly better approach:
http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2010/05/13/0164-tipping-point/
--- End quote ---
Just the third panel, yes.
edited: for clarity
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